Apparatus for bending continuous cast slabs

ABSTRACT

A slab emerging from a casting mold is supported by an articulated roller chain resiliently biased and mounted to a frame. Groups of rollers comprising such chain are mounted to equalizing brackets, and one group of rollers is secured to a piston-cylinder assembly. When the piston cylinder assembly is actuated, the rollers connected thereto exert a bending force on the slab which curves and is supported by the articulated roller chain.

United States Patent 1 91 1 11 3,730,256 Reinfeld et al. 1 1 May 1, 1973[5 APPARATUS FOR BENDING 3,257,691 6/1966 Krueger ..l64/282 x CONTINUOUSCAST SLABS 3,319,699 5/1967 [75] Inventors: Kurt Reinield; Emmanuel V.Gouye, Hess at al 164/282 both of Pittsburgh, Pa. [73] Assignee: KoppersCompany, Inc. Pittsburgh, FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,451,9189/1966 France 164/282 Filed: Jan. 1971 234.932 7/1964 Austr a..-...164/282 21 Appl. No.: 104,817

Related U.S. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 837,851, June30, 1969, Pat. No.

[52] U.S. Cl .....l64/282 [51] Int. Cl. ..B22d ll/l2 [58] Field ofSearch ..164/282, 82

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,638,713 2/1972 Knell eta1. ..164/282 X 3,370,642 2/1968 Meier et a1. ..l64/282 3,495,651 2/1970Rokop et a1. ..l64/282 X 3,542,117 11/1970 Lemper et a1. ..l64/282 X3,314,115 4/1967 Saunders et a1. 164/282 Primary Examiner- 1. SpencerOverholser Assistant Examiner-John E. Roethel Attorney-Sherman H. Barberet a1.

[5 7] ABSTRACT A slab emerging from a casting mold is supported by anarticulated roller chain resiliently biased and mounted to a frame.Groups of rollers comprising such chain are mounted to equalizingbrackets, and one group of rollers is secured to a piston-cylinder assembly. When the piston cylinder assembly is actuated, the rollersconnected thereto exert a bending force on the slab which curves and issupported by the articulated roller chain.

8 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures Patented. May 1 1973 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 1Patented May 1, 1973 3,730,255

5 Sheets-Sheet APPARATUS FOR BENDING CONTINUOUS CAST SLABS CROSSREFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION BACKGROUND or THE INVENTION In the artof continuous metal casting, it has been relatively easy heretofore tobend continuous cast and without fear of causing a break-out, will bereadily apparent to those skilled in the art from the followingdescription.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Apparatus for bending a continuous cast slabincludes spaced apart groups of rollers mounted to equalizing bracketsinterconnected together and with other rollers as a slab-supportingchain. One group of rollers is fixed as a fulcrum about which the slabcurves, and one other group of rollers is movable and exerts bendingforces on the slab.

For a further understanding of the invention and for features andadvantages thereof reference may be made to the following description,taken in conjunction with the drawing, which shows for the purpose ofexemplification one embodiment of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING One embodiment of the invention isillustrated in the I drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic elevational view of a continuous slab-castingmachine including apparatus in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic elevational view, at a larger scale, of aportionof the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a doubleroll support bracketportion of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along line lV-IV of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a proportioning bracketportion of the apparatus of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a detail of a portion of the apparatus ofFIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION describedin application Ser. No. 812,979 filed Apr.3,

Below the bottom of the mold 15, there are a plurality of verticallyarranged slab-supporting rollers 2.1 arranged in opposite pairs. Suchrollers 21 are located in the spray chamber zone wherein sprays'of waterimpinge upon and cool the outer surface of the cast slab 13.

Below the slab-supporting rollers 21, there is another group of rollers23 that are arranged also in opposite pairs; such rollers beingdesignated 23a, 23b, and there being several pairs of such rollersdisposed vertically, as

shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Pairs of rollers 23a, 23b, are

journaled in a suitable stationary fixed structure 27.

Below the pairs of rollers 23a, 23b there are other pairs of rollers29a, 29b which are horizontally arranged on opposite sides of the castslab 13. The rollers 29a, 29b of each pair are journaled in adouble-roll bracket 31 having the form shown generally in FIG. 3. Eachroll-bracket 31 is pin connected to another double-roll bracket to forman articulated roller chain 32 for supporting the cast slab 13. Theuppermost doubleroll bracket 31 is pin connected to a link 33 on eachside of a support frame 35 that carries two anchors .37, about as shownin FIG. 4.

The support frame 35 may have any suitable shape such as a truss type ofa structure comprising upper 39 and lower 41 chord members, withvertical side plates 43 of angular cross section and intermediarydiagonal tie members 45. The side plate members 43 may, of .course, alsobe truss-type structures if preferred. The support frame 35 extendsarcuately, as shown in FIG. 1, from a location just below the structurethat supports the casting mold 15 to a lower terminus adjacentbendingand straightening rolls 47.

Each double-roll bracket 31 is a generally rectangular-shaped memberthat has a elongate slot 49 in one end and a shorter'slot 51 in theopposite end. A bearing 53 is fixedly mounted as by pins 55 in the slot51, and the roller 29a is journaled in this bearing 53. A similarbearing 57 is disposed in the elongate slot 49 and is cooperative withgrooves 59 that permit the bearing 57 to move laterally toward-and awayfrom the fixed hearing 53. The roller 2% is journaledl in the bearing57.

A screw jack 6] is fixed to the double-roll bracket 31 where shown, andis connected to the bearing 57. The

screw jack may be operated either manually or by a power tool to movethe bearing 57 and roller 29b nearer to, or further away from the roll29a, which remains in a fixed position. The .cast slab 13 is locatedbetween the rollers 29a, 29b, and by means of the screw jack 61 therollers 29a, 29b may be spaced apart a distance equal to the thicknessof the slab 13.

The top and the bottom surfaces of the double-roll support bracket3lhave perforated ears or lugs 63, 65

respectively and, the lug 65 coacts with the lug 63 of an adjacentbracket above and below so thatwhen a pivot pin 67 is inserted into thehole in each cooperating lug, the double-roll supporting brackets arepivotally connected together as the articulated chain 32.

The uppermost group of rollers 29b are also journaled individually inarms 69, 71 of a proportioning bracket 73. The proportioning bracket 73(FIG. 5) has a channel shaped housing 75 to which the arms 69, 71

are pivotally connected as by pins 77. The housing 75 itself ispivotally connected as by pin 79 to an elongate The lower end of theelongate member 76 is fixed to a rectangular shaped block-like portion83 that is secured to the free end of a piston rod 85 that cooperateswith a fluid-actuated cylinder 87. The fluidactuated cylinder ispivotally secured as by pin 89 to the side plate member 43, about whereshown in FIG. 2.

A pair of channel shaped housings 91, 93 are pivotally connectedtogether and to the block-like portion 83 by means of a common pivot pin95. To the housing 91, there is pivotally connected, as by pivot pin 97,an equalizing arm 99, and in like manner an equalizing arm 101 ispivotally connected as by pivot pin 103 to housing 93.

At a point about midway along the length of the articulated rollersupport chain 32, one end of an arm 105 is connected to theslab-supporting chain 68 by means ofa connecting link 106 and the arm ispivotally mounted, as by pivot pin 107, to the side wall 43 of thesupporting frame 35. The free other end of the arm 105 is secured to oneend of a tension spring 109 that is also secured to the side wall 43 bya pin 111.

Below the arm 105, pairs of double-roller brackets 113 (FIG. 6) aremounted to rods 115 that have a tee-. head 117 at one end. The tee-headof each rod 115 cooperates with a slot 119 in a bottom flange portion121 of the side wall 43 of support frame 35.

The double-roller brackets 113 are similar to the double-roller brackets31 except that rod 115 is fixedly secured to the bracket 113. The upperend of the interconnected double-roller brackets 113, forming a rollerchain portion 123, are also pivotally connected to the lower end of theroller chain 32 and to the arm 105. The lower end of the roller chainportion 123 is connccted to another pivoted arm 125 by means of aconnecting link 127. The arm 125, like arm 105, is resiliently biased bya spring 129, like spring 109, to the side wall 43.

The upper end of the support frame 35 is connected to a cable 131 thatpasses over sheaves 133, 135 mounted to the structural support for thecasting mold and the cable 131 is wound onto the drum portion ofapowered hoisting winch 137 that is mounted to the other horizontalsupporting structure 139. The lower end of the support frame 35 isprovided with a pair of fixed legs 141, 143 having a common shaft 145that cooperates with a pivotable fulcrum 147. The fulcrum 147 ispivotable about a base 149 by means of a fluidactuated cylinder 151.

The support frame 35 also has two other fixed legs 153, 155; the leg 153being located adjacent the lower supporting leg 141, and the leg 155being located adjacent the upper end of the support frame 35. These legs153, 155 coact with a horizontally movable car 157 on which is mounted asupport cradle 159.

In operation, molten metal 17 is continually poured into mold which iscooled in a normal manner, and a cast slab l3 emerges continually fromthe bottom of the mold. The cast slab is straight as it descends, andthe leading edge of the strand 13 first engages the rolls 29a in theregion A shown in FIG. 2. The slab at first flexes the roller chain 32so that the upper portion of it is vertically straight; the arm 105pivoting clockwise against the tension spring 109.

As soon as the leading edge of the strand passes-zone A, thepistomcylinder 87 is actuated so that the rollers 29a in the the groupof rollers linked to the equalizing arms 99, 101, exert forces F againstone surface of the slab 13. These forces F are resisted by reactionaryforces P exerted by rollers 29b against the opposite surface of theslab, and other fulcrum reactionary forces Q are exerted against the onesurface of the slab by the fixed group of rollers 23a.

As the rollers 29a urge the leading edge portion of the slab 13 towardthe right, as viewed in FIG. 2, the slab curves toward the right andfinally, after the leading straight portion of the slab has passedthrough the straightener rolls, the slab follows the arcuate path shownin dotted outline in FIG. 2.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that, when the upper portion ofthe roller supporting chain 32, is in the position shown in FIG. 2, thelower portion of the chain moves upwardly and to the left, as viewed inFIG. 1. The tee-headed bolts slide in the slots provided in the lowerhorizontal flange of the support frame. The lower portion of the rollerchain is also resiliently biased by an arm, wherefore, the chain assumesa curve that follows the dotted outlines of the slab shown in FIG. 2.

Those skilled in the art will recognize several significant features andadvantages of the present invention A among which are:

That the apparatus for-bending slabs is effective to bend slabs ofvarious thickness and width, the roller brackets including one rollerthat is adjustably positionable;

That the equalizing brackets and the rollers journaled thereto equallydistribute the bending forces exerted on the slab by each roller;

That a plurality of rollers is used in each group or cluster so that theforce exerted by each roller does not cause distortion or a break-out tothe thin skin of the cast slab, but yet the cumulative forces of all ofthe rollers in any group is effective;

That the equalizing bracket directly connected to the piston-cylinderassembly is articulated so that each pair of rollers adjust to thechanging curvature of the slab; and

That the roller supporting chain can move out from its normal curvedslab supporting line, when forced out by the descending straight portionof the slab, but the chain being resiliently biased supports the slab inan arcuate path.

What is claimed is:

1. In a continuous casting machine having a vertically reciprocable moldwherein molten metal partly solidifies and from which a cast slab iscontinually withdrawn, the improved apparatus comprising:

a. a frame situated below said mold;

b. a plurality of vertically spaced apart groups of pairs of rollerscomprising a first grouping of rollers coacting with opposite sides ofsaid slab and being pivotally connected together as a chain andpivotally connected to said frame, one of each pair of rollers beingfixed relative to said slab and the other one of each pair of rollersbeing movable relative to such slab and to said one fixed roller;

0. a second gr0uping,'like said first grouping, of pairs of rollers thatare situated in spaced apart vertical relation to said first groupingand coacting with opposite sides of such slab; and

d. means to urge said first and said second groupings of pairs ofrollers against said slab to bend said slab. I

2. The invention of claim 1 including:

a. pivot means connecting one end of said chain to said frame at a pointadjacent to the bottom of said mold; and

b. means connected to said frame and to said chain for linearlyextending said chain.

3. The invent-ion of claim 1 including:

a. a third group of rollers contacting said strand and arranged in pairssimilarly to the pairs of rollers of said first group; and

b. means maintaining said pairs of rollers of said third group inpreselected spaced apart relation to said frame.

4. The invention of claim 3 including:

a. means pivotally connecting together adjacent pairs of rollers of saidthird group of rollers;

b. means connecting said third group of rollers to the chain of rollersof said first and second groups; and

c. means connected to said frame and to said third group of rollers forlinearly extending said chain.

5. In a continuous casting machine having a vertically reciprocable moldwherein molten metal partly solidifies and from which a cast slab iscontinually withdrawn, the improved apparatus comprising:

a. an arcuate frame; b. means pivotally supporting one end of saidframe; c. means connected to the other end of said frame for holdingsaid frame in operative relation to and below said mold;

d. a flexible chain for supporting said slab after it emerges from saidmold including:

i. a plurality of pivotally interconnected pairs of rollers disposed onopposite sides of said. slab with i i ii. means for adjustably movingone roller of each pair of such rollers with respect to the other rollerof each pair and to said slab;

e. means connecting one end of said flexible chain to said frame at alocation adjacent the bottom of said mold; V

f. means connected to said frame and to said chain for linearlyextending said chain; and

g. means coacting with at least one pair of said rollers for exerting abending force on said slab' as it emerges from said mold whereby 'saidslab bends and is supported by the rollers of said chain. 6. Theinvention of claim 5 including: a. an equalizer arm pivotally mounted tosaid frame;

' b. means pivotally mounted to said equalizer arm and to a first groupof pairs of said rollers; and c. means pivotally mounted to saidequalizer arm and to a second group of pairs of rollers. 7. Theinvention of claim 6 including: a. a plurality of other rollers engagingsaid slab that are fixed and exert reactionary forces on said slab. 8.The invention of claim 5 wherein: a. said arcuate frame comprisesmembers interconnected together as a truss. i V

k a k l

1. In a continuous casting machine having a vertically reciprocable moldwherein molten metal partly solidifies and from which a cast slab iscontinually withdrawn, the improved apparatus comprising: a. a framesituated below said mold; b. a plurality of vertically spaced apartgroups of pairs of rollers comprising a first grouping of rollerscoacting with opposite sides of said slab and being pivotally connectedtogether as a chain and pivotally connected to said frame, one of eachpair of rollers being fixed relative to said slab and the other one ofeach pair of rollers being movable relative to such slab and to said onefixed roller; c. a second grouping, like said first grouping, of pairsof rollers that are situated in spaced apart vertical relation to saidfirst grouping and coacting with opposite sides of such slab; and d.means to urge said first and said second groupings of pairs of rollersagainst said slab to bend said slab.
 2. The invention of claim 1including: a. pivot means connecting one end of said chain to said frameat a point adjacent to the bottom of said mold; and b. means connectedto said frame and to said chain for linearly extending said chain. 3.The invention of claim 1 including: a. a third group of rollerscontacting said strand and arranged in pairs similarly to the pairs ofrollers of said first group; and b. means maintaining said pairs ofrollers of said third group in preselected spaced apart relation to saidframe.
 4. The invention of claim 3 including: a. means pivotallyconnecting together adjacent pairs of rollers of said third group ofrollers; b. means connecting said third group of rollers to the chain ofrollers of said first and second groups; and c. means connected to saidframe and to said third group of rollers for linearly extending saidchain.
 5. In a continuous casting machine having a verticallyreciprocable mold wherein molten metal partly solidifies and from whicha cast slab is continually withdrawn, the improved apparatus comprising:a. an arcuate frame; b. means pivotally supporting one end of saidframe; c. means connected to the other end of said frame for holdingsaid frame in operative relation to and below said mold; d. a flexiblechain for supporting said slab after it emerges from said moldincluding: i. a plurality of pivotally interconnected pairs of rollersdisposed on opposite sides of said slab with ii. means for adjustablymoving one roller of each pair of such rollers with respect to the oTherroller of each pair and to said slab; e. means connecting one end ofsaid flexible chain to said frame at a location adjacent the bottom ofsaid mold; f. means connected to said frame and to said chain forlinearly extending said chain; and g. means coacting with at least onepair of said rollers for exerting a bending force on said slab as itemerges from said mold whereby said slab bends and is supported by therollers of said chain.
 6. The invention of claim 5 including: a. anequalizer arm pivotally mounted to said frame; b. means pivotallymounted to said equalizer arm and to a first group of pairs of saidrollers; and c. means pivotally mounted to said equalizer arm and to asecond group of pairs of rollers.
 7. The invention of claim 6 including:a. a plurality of other rollers engaging said slab that are fixed andexert reactionary forces on said slab.
 8. The invention of claim 5wherein: a. said arcuate frame comprises members interconnected togetheras a truss.